Just a brief reminder if you see me in the field, please don't touch me - I bruise easily and have very low disease resistance. I have been poked full of holes. We can bump elbows but that's about it. Thank you!
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After my very upbeat appointment with Dr. #7 (she who shall remain nameless) I had a good nights sleep. I get to chemo in a GREAT mood ready to do battle with these tumors and sign in at the desk, 15 minutes early for a 9 AM appointment. At thirty minutes after arrival I check with the receptionist - they aren't ready for me to pay the copay yet, there are still people ahead of me. At an hour I ask for a supervisor. First story is that finance doesn't have the numbers for them (what I owe for copay - same as last time! Come on!). Second story is that the nurse at Dr #7s office didn't get the change in meds delivered until right before 5 PM and the pharmacy is still working on it.
My point with the supervisor and anyone else who stopped to listen is that communication on all fronts was nonexistent. I offered to call finance and I offered to pick up the meds from the pharmacy (seriously? Holding me up for two Benadryl pills and a Pepcid instead of the IV versions? I could have run home and got these in the time I was sitting around in a VERY FULL (endless) waiting room). I said they could have asked me if I wanted to return in an hour or when they paged me. When I finally did pay, they gave me the wrong receipt - first I noticed the wrong amount, then the wrong name. This after having the lab nurse label my blood with someone elses sticker last time, good thing I noticed that major error before they were sent to the lab.
Once these issues were wrapped up I was quickly taken back to the infusion room. The people just ahead of me got the sunny bright room with the window, so I got the nearly end of the line with the dungeon like darkness. The worst part was the florescent light in the hall (these really bother me with the migranes) and of course the TV (cable but not much on daytime) was right in front of the light. Good thing I had a great book on my phone recommended by my niece Kristin. It's now 1.5 hours since I arrived. The book was the highlight of my entertainment.
The nurses figure out that I don't have a port (ok, they asked) and tried some soft sell on getting one. They proclaimed the two veins at my left elbow as in need of rest (3 weeks and 3 months break already) so they stick me in a new place on the wrist. I'm running out of left hand veins if they won't reuse them. They hook me up to some saline and bring me pills to start with (now 2 hours in). The rest of the premeds go quick since two were switched from IV to pill.
Even better news on the room is that the room is much quieter with fewer near neighbors, especially when the room next to me is vacant. The IV machines beep as they run dry and the constant beeping on all sides was annoying last time. Fewer neighbors, fewer beeps today - and less TV noise from the empty room.
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It's easy to tell when they switch to the chemo drugs as the nurses put on gowns. The first chemo drug is hung at about 1 PM after a lunch of a turkey (I think) sandwich, chips and a sprite. I asked for a coke (feeling sleepy and I'm told they won't let me have dark drinks, though evidently more coffee would be possible. Oh well.).
This first chemo drug is the drug I reacted last time to so I asked the nurse to hang out for five minutes or until the drug hits me. I was a little worried with the Benadryl being converted from IV to pill. Fortunately no reaction (thank you Dr. #7) and it's just watch the bag go down over the next 3 hours. At 4 PM they flush the line and replace the bag with the next chemo bag. It runs over about 30 minutes (more like 40) and then they flush the line again. Five PM I'm still looking for my next appointment and find I have to go up front to the receptionist to get it. Ugh. I got the first appointment of the day for treatment 3 and learn that people come in up to an hour early to sign in first. I can see why given the delays at the front desk.
With the change in meds from IV to pill it's down to 6 hours on the IV (from 7 hours last time). Still, BORING. I did get some naps in - the dark room helped with that as did the Benadryl and the reduced noise.
Rick and May arrived as I walked out the front door, and we headed to dinner as I was a little hungry. We tried a new place and ate too much (at least I did). I stopped to pick up some post-treatment nausea prescription meds on the way home from dinner, love the drive through pharmacy! I need to learn not to go to sleep at 8 PM as I was up for good at 2 AM. Now it's time to go birding.
I'm impressed with how little negative impact I had last time from the chemo, and so far (knock on wood and thanks to better living through chemistry) even less this time. Onwards!
